1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to the game of tennis and specifically to an improved, novel and portable method of keeping the set score.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
The game of tennis is played between two players for singles and four players for doubles. To win a singles or doubles match the player(s) must win six games to win a set; and to win a match they must win either two out of three sets or three out of five sets depending upon the pre-determined length of competition.
The set score is the longest most important score to reflect who is winning the match. Tennis is a particularly fast-moving game and it is easy to forget the set score at a given instant. The great increase in popularity of this game in recent years has increased the importance of this problem. Any device to be effective for this purpose must be visible to all players to prevent the point of questioning between opponents of the set score.
The portable tennis score keeper provides a clear and novel way to display the set score. It is viewable to players and spectators. Any one of the players may participate in rotating the plates to reflect each individual's or team's set score. This eliminates the necessity of a third party and the set score can be confirmed by all players at a glance.
Prior to this invention, a number of dial-type tennis score keepers have been proposed. For the most part these dial type tennis score keeping devices are adapted to be worn on the player's wrist. These dial-type score keepers are alike in the number of significant disadvantages and drawbacks they share.
First, it is extremely difficult to hold the racquet in one hand, the ball in the other hand and rotate the dials. Secondly, the size of the numbers on the dials are so small, they are very difficult to read especially for players who use reading glasses. Third, these types of score keeping devices are not viewable by the other player(s) or spectators leading to the questioning of the accuracy of the set score.
Another category of tennis score keepers proposed prior to this invention are those which attach to the butt, throat, side or frame of the racquet. Tennis, today, is a game with high tech equipment; racquets are built with balance and lightness as desirable components. Those inventions made to attach to the racquet detract from the racquet's attributes. Further, the tennis score keepers in this category have not developed a successful way of assuring that the device will stay attached to the racquet under playing conditions as well as not interfere with the racquet's performance. Again, these types of score keeping device display the tennis score only to the player who has it attached to his or her racquet.
An obvious flaw in the two types of score keepers described is the fact that once a part of the device is broken the entire device is rendered obsolete. This applies to the molded plastic devices as well as the devices with dials, and various sizes of small and intricate moveable parts.
Accordingly, it is one of the most important objects of the present invention to provide a portable tennis score keeper that is light, practically indestructible, viewable by players and spectators, and readily manipulated to display the set score in a tennis match.
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable, and novel way to display the set score while involving all players in rotating the score plates to accurately display the set score. It is a still further object of the invention to provide a tennis score keeping device of small size and portability so that it enables all players the opportunity to have a portable tennis score keeper as a standard item in their sports bag.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a portable tennis score keeper that is simple to operate and viewable by all participating players as well as spectators.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a scoring device for the game of tennis which is simple in structure, reliable, functional, and economical to manufacture.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the score of the appended claims.